Harry Kane received an unexpected mention during Mohamed Salah's explosive interview, as the Liverpool star cited him whilst launching a scathing attack on his club. This comes after the Egyptian was dropped from the starting lineup for a third consecutive Premier League match following a recent dip in form. The Reds have struggled to find their rhythm in the league this season, with Tottenham keeping a close eye on developments at Anfield ahead of their clash in a fortnight's time.
Salah will miss that encounter due to AFCON international commitments, though uncertainty surrounds whether he'll still be at the club for the return fixture in March. The 33-year-old launched a strange attack of his employers, claiming he has been "thrown under the bus" by the club's hierarchy. He also referenced his deteriorating relationship with Arne Slot, whilst hinting that the weekend's Brighton clash might mark his final appearance for Liverpool.
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His anger stems from being repeatedly overlooked for selection despite believing he has earned his spot in the team. The stalemate against Leeds proved to be the final straw for Salah, who didn't even feature as a substitute, prompting his reference to Kane when questioned about his frustration.
He said: "Can you answer that? [If he is frustrated that he wasn't brought on] I have been at this club, scoring more than anyone in this generation, since I came to the Premier League. I don't think anyone has scored more goals and made more assists than me.
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"In the whole Premier League. If I am somewhere else, everybody would go to the media and defend the players. I am the only one in this situation.
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"Can I give an example? It's silly, but I am sorry. I remember a while ago, Harry Kane was not scoring for ten games, everyone in the media was like 'Oh, Harry will score for sure', when it comes to Mo, everyone is like 'he needs to be on the bench'. I am sorry, Harry!"
Whilst this may have been a minor dig at Kane, accompanied by an apology, it was also an inaccurate claim from Salah. Opta subsequently debunked this assertion, revealing that Kane has never endured six consecutive top-flight starts without finding the net throughout his career.
This isn't to suggest the former Spurs striker hasn't faced difficulties over the years. Questions have periodically arisen regarding his pace and fitness record, as well as his capacity to deliver in the biggest matches.
Nevertheless, his goal-scoring statistics speak volumes, with 17 representing his lowest return for a complete Premier League campaign during his Tottenham spell, and 30 his peak on two separate occasions. Now plying his trade at Bayern Munich, the England skipper continues to demonstrate his prowess at the highest level.
At 32 years of age, just 12 months Salah's junior, Kane has been finding the net regularly in the Bundesliga too. During his debut season, the forward netted 36 times, before following that up with 26 goals in the subsequent campaign. With an impressive tally of 17 goals in just 13 appearances for Bayern, it appears that the Tottenham legend is not planning to slow down anytime soon.